Thill-coupling.



A. H. WORREST.

I'HILL COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED I'EB.12, 190s. RENEWED APR. 27, 1909.

TNESSES Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

TATE PATENT @FFTQE.

ALFRED H. WORREST, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO METAL STAMP-ING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

THILL-COUPLIN Gr.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

Application filed February 12, 1908, Serial No. 415,598. Renewed April2?, 1909. Serial No. 492,616.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. l/Voimr-sr, of Lancaster, in the county ofLancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Thill- Couplings; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in thill couplings and moreparticularly to such as employ a hook and a pivoted jaw to en gage thecoupling bolt and a lever for operating the pivoted jaw, objects of mypresent invention being to provide a thill coupling of the type abovementioned in which the pivoted jaw will be pressed against the couplingbolt by the action of a spring, the construction being such that saidspring shall be housed; and to provide simple and efficient means forlocking the pivoted jaw so as to effectually prevent its accidentaldisengagement from the coupling bolt.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinaftersetforth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portionof a thill showing the application of my invention thereto. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 1is a transverse sectional view, and Fig. 5 is a detail view showing thecollapsible bolt.

1 represents the rear portion of a thill, to

. which a thill-iron 2 is secured, and provided at its rear end with ahook 3. Near the hook 3, the thill-iron is provided with a lug 41, towhich the bifurcated portion of a jaw 5 is pivoted.

The under face of the thill-iron beyond the jaw 5, is made with a pocketor recess 6 and at the forward end of this pocket or recess, a lug 7projects from the thill-iron and has pivoted to it the bifurcated end ofa lever 8. This lever is formed with a pocket 9 which cooperates withthe pocket 6 to form a housing for the devices which connect the leverwith the pivoted jaw. The free end of the lever is provided with a loop9 for the passage of a safety strap.

A collapsible bolt or rod 10 is disposed between the lever 8 and thepivoted jaw 5, said bolt or rod comprising two members 11-12 disposedside by side and movable relatively to each other. a The member 11 ofthe collapsible rod or bolt is pivotally connected at one end betweenlugs 13 on the pivoted jaw 5 and one end of the member 12 of said rod orbolt is pivotally attached to lugs 1 1 projecting from the lever S inproximity to the pivotal connection of the latter to the thill-iron. Aspring 15 encircles the collapsible bolt or rod 10, said spring bearingat one end against the lug on the pivoted jaw and at the other endagainst a washer 17 which bears against the lugs on the lever 8. Asleeve 18 surrounds the collapsible bolt or rod within the spring 15.This sleeve serves to prevent the buckling of the spring 15 and also toprevent the entrance of dust or mud between the movable members of thecollapsible rod or bolt.

From the construction and arrangement of parts above described, it willbe seen that when the lever is moved forwardly the two relativelymovable members which connect the lever and the jaw engage each otherand the pivoted jaw will be opened and the hook 3 can be readily placedupon the coupling bolt 19. The lever 8 will then be operated and causedto transmit motion through the medium of the collapsible rod or bolt andthe spring to the pivoted jaw, causing the latter to engage the couplingbolt 19. During this movement of the lever the members of thecollapsible bolt or rod will move relatively to each other and thepivotal con nection thereof with the lever will be moved beyond a linepassing through the pivotal connection of the lever with the thill-ironand the pivotal connection of the rod or bolt with the pivoted jaw.lVith the parts in these positions, the spring will operate to force thepivoted jaw against the coupling bolt with a yielding pressure,permitting the attachment of the thill to the coupling bolt in suchmanner as to allow proper movement of the thill and at the same timeprevent rattling. The spring will also serve to retain the lever 8 inits normal position and operate in conjunction with the collapsible rodor bolt connected with said lever and jaw in the manner above explained,to lock said jaw and effectually prevent any accidental movement thereofwhich would tend to release the coupling from the coupling bolt. It willalso be seen that when the parts are in their normal positions with thethill connected with the coupling bolt, the collapsible rod or bolt andthe spring will be housed within the pockets 6 and 9 with which thethill-iron and lever are provided.

Various slight changes might be made in the details of construction ofmy invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting itsscope and hence I do not wish to restrict myself to the precise detailsherein set forth.

Having fully described my invention what 1 claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a thill-coupling, comprising a boltengaging hook, a pivoted jaw tocooperate therewith, a lever, a bolt comprising relatively movablemembers connecting said lever and pivoted. jaw, and a spring encirclingsaid bolt between the lever and. pivoted aw.

2. A thill-coupling, comprising a bolt-engaging hook, a pivoted jaw, alever, a bolt comprising relatively movable members connected with thepivoted jaw and pivotally connected with the lever in such position thatsaid pivotal connection with the lever can be moved beyond a linepassing through the pivotal support of the lever and the pivotalconnection of the rod or bolt with the jaw, and a spring encircling therod or bolt between the lever and the pivoted jaw.

3. A thill-coupling, comprising a thilliron provided with a boltengaging hook and with a pocket, a jaw pivoted to the thilliron, a leverpivoted to the thill-iron, a bolt or rod comprising relatively movablemem bers connecting the lever and pivoted jaw, and a spring encirclingsaid rod or bolt between the pivoted jaw and lever, said rod or bolt andspring being movable into the pocket in the thill-iron.

l. A thill-coupling, comprising a thilliron provided with a boltengaging hook and with a pocket in rear of said hook, a jaw pivoted tothe thill-iron between the hook and pocket, a pocketed lever pivoted tothe thill-iron, a bolt or rod comprising relatively movable membersconnecting the pivoted jaw and lever, and a spring encircling said boltbetween the pivoted jaw and lever, the pocket of the leve and the pocketof the thill-iron cooperating to house said rod or bolt and the spring.

5. A thill-coupling, comprising a bolt engaging hook, a pivoted jawcooperating therewith, a lever, rod or bolt comprising relativelymovable members connecting said pivoted jaw and lever, a. springencircling said rod or bolt between the pivoted jaw and lever, and asleeve inclo-sing the members of the rod or bolt within the spring.

6. A thill-coupling, comprising a thilliron provided with a boltengaging hook, a jaw pivoted to the thill-iron and cooperating with saidhook, lugs depending from said jaw, a lug depending from the thilliron,a lever pivoted to said last mentioned lug, a belt or rod comprisingrelatively movable members, one of said members pivoted to the lugs ofthe pivoted jaw, the other of said members pivoted to the lever inproximity to the pivotal support of the latter, and a spring encirclingthe rod or bolt between the pivoted jaw and the lever.

7. In a thill coupling, a thill iron provided with a bolt engaging hook,a jaw to cooperate with the hook, a lever, and a bolt consisting ofrelatively movable members between said lever and the jaw.

8. A thill coupling comprising a thill iron provided with a boltengaging hook and having a pocket, a jaw connected to the thill iron, alever, means comprising rela tively movable members connecting the leverand the jaw, and yielding means to hold the jaw to the bolt when thecoupling is closed, both means movable into the pocket on closing thecoupling.

9. A thill coupling comprising a thill iron provided with a boltengaging hook and having a pocket, a jaw connected to the thill iron, alever, means comprising relatively movable members connecting the leverand the jaw, said members engaging each other to open the jaw when thelever is thrown in one direction, and yielding means to hold the aw tothe bolt when the lever is thrown in an opposite direction, both meansmovable into the pocket on closing the couplin 10. A coupling comprisinga thill iron provided with a bolt engaging hook and having a pocket, ajaw cooperating with the hook, a lever having a pocket therein andpivoted to the thill iron, a connection between the jaw and the lever,the pocket of the thill iron and the pocket of the lever housing theconnection when the coupling is closed.

11. A coupling comprising a thill iron provided with a bolt engaginghook and having a pocket or recess therein, a jaw cooperating with thehook to engage the coupling bolt, a lever pivoted to the thill iron andhaving a pocket or recess therein, a connection between the lever andjaw, and a spring to press the jaw to the coupling bolt, the pockets orrecesses housing the connection and spring when the coupling is iron andthe jaw to house the connection 10 closed. and spring when the couplingis closed.

12. A coupling comprising a, thill iron In testimony whereof, I havesigned this provided with a bolt engaging hook, a jaw specification inthe presence of two subscribcooperating with the hook to engage acouping witnesses.

ling bolt, a lever pivoted to the thill iron, ALFRED H. WORREST. aconnection between the lever and the jaw, Witnesses: and a spring topress the jaw to the coupling E. N. VVoRREs'r,

bolt, a pocket or recess between the thilll CHAS. E. LONG.

